The national-level youth festival, Pow-woW Lore: Youth Quill and Canvas 2026, began at Lorin Hall, Tetso College, Chumoukedima on Thursday, drawing around 450 to 500 participants from higher education institutions across Nagaland including faculty members and invited guest.
The two-day festival, centred on literature, art, culture and creativity, is being organised in partnership with the Nagaland Influencers Summit 2026 that aims to provide young people a platform to showcase their talents, exchange ideas and gain experiences beyond the conventional classroom environment.
Speaking as the chief guest, proprietor of Synergy Group, Kevitsu Medoze, said he was pleased to see Pow-woW Lore develop into a national-level platform. He said Tetso College had the potential to host programmes of national and international significance.
Medeoze encouraged participants to use the festival to challenge themselves, build their abilities and pursue excellence rather than treating it solely as a competition. He stressed that academic qualifications alone were insufficient in an increasingly competitive environment, underlining the importance of hard work, teamwork, networking and life skills.
“Without hard work, even AI doesn’t work,” he said, urging the participants to “try to be the best in the world, not just here in Nagaland.” He also called for stronger connections among participating institutions and suggested exchange programmes to encourage interaction, learning and collaboration among students.
In his welcome address, Deputy Registrar and Dean of Residential Life, Tetso College, Merangtsuba Longkumer, described Pow-woW Lore as a celebration of art, culture and creativity driven by the energy of young people.
Referring to the college motto, “Strive for Excellence,” Longkumer urged participants to make the most of the opportunities offered by the festival and return with experiences, friendships, ideas and memories beyond certificates.
Convenor of Pow-woW Lore 2026, Dr Asenla Yanger, outlined the vision and objectives of the festival, emphasising creativity as a means of learning, interaction and collaboration. She said the festival was designed to help young people explore different forms of expression while developing confidence and skills through participation. Eight higher education institutions have registered for the competitions and activities, she added.
The inaugural programme was chaired by Imnajungla Longkumer, third-semester BA Linguistics student of Tetso College. It began with the college anthem, “Strive for Excellence,” followed by a prayer led by Kuviete-o Ritse, Resident Coordinator of Sinle Girls’ Home, Tetso College.
The traditional “Watering of the Tree of Victory” was also observed as a symbol of unity, determination and victory. The School of Music, Tetso College presented Dies Irae, after which Director and Chairman of Tetso College, Kvulo Lorin, felicitated the chief guest. The inaugural ceremony concluded with a briefing on Pow-woW 2026 by Dr Asenla Yanger.
The festival includes competitions and activities such as poetry slam, declamation, heritage talent showcase, indigenous storytelling, debate, heritage fashion ramp, live painting, spelling bee, hackathon, MadAds, story writing and cosplay. The festival seeks to promote creative expression, cultural engagement and healthy competition while helping young people develop skills and experiences beyond academic learning.
